The River Valley Razor: August 2015

Friday 21 August 2015

Product Review: LEA Menthol Shave Cream

LEA shave cream is manufactured in Spain. The company has been making skin care products since 1823 and has a great reputation amongst the Spanish wet shaving community. This is a review of the LEA Mentholated shave cream.

The cream comes in a 100ml metal tube with a screw top lid. The convenient 100ml size allows it to be taken as hand luggage on aircraft.

LEA Sensitive shave cream is a personal favourite here at RVT. The performance, scent and lather is excellent. I was keen to see if the mentholated version would match up. I need not have worried.

The added menthol enhances the scent profile of this cream. Similar notes to the LEA sensitive but somehow made a bit more intense by the menthol addition. I squeezed out an almond size blob into my shave bowl and lathered it up with a damp badger brush. Wow! The lather is brilliant. Creamy, with a slick sheen.

On the face you pick up the menthol cooling effect. It is not as strong as Godrej Blue, but the menthol is definitely noticeable. I was using a vintage straight razor for this test and there was excellent slide, protection, and cushioning. I had more than enough lather for three passes and the lather was stable throughout.

My verdict: The great performance of LEA sensitive cream, with the extra 'zing' of menthol. A match made in heaven (for me). highly recommended.

For all your wet shaving needs check out our product listings on BidorBuy

Thursday 20 August 2015

Product Review: Ach Brito Lavanda Shave Cream

Ach Brito Lavanda shave cream is manfactured in Portugal by the Ach Brito company (manufacturing high quality soaps for over a century). They are swell known for their Mediterranean and fresh lavender scents.

The cream comes in a high quality 100g metal tube with a screw top lid. The tube uses a slightly narrower nozzle, but it does give slightly more control over how much you squeeze out (an almond size blob normally does the job nicely). The cream is Lavender scented and the formulation has a coconut oil base, and enriched with Lanolin and oat extract. I had good expectations for this cream because it comes form the same company that makes Top Secret cream (one of the slickest creams we have tested).

I soaked my badger brush in warm water and then decided to lather up. I wring out most of the water from the brush then add in more water as I need to the lather mix. I did notice that this cream does require a bit more water to get going but, once the mix is right, the result is a rich creamy lather.

The lavender scent is not too strong, but is pleasant and fresh. The lather is very gentle on the face and I noticed no irritation at all. I was using a Fatip Grande razor for this shave and there was plenty of lather for three passes. The lather is stable and does not dissipate. I found the slickness and cushion to be very good and the shave experience to be very smooth.

The highlight of this shave cream (for me) is the skin care property. After the shave my face felt very soft and smooth.

Overall, I find this cream to be an excellent performer. Highly recommended.

For all your wet shaving needs check out our product listings on BidorBuy